So I came to this book by way of the great movie adaptation starring Errol Flynn. I didn't know it was a book first, but then I stumbled on it in a Little Free Library and here we are!

The story follows Dr. Peter Blood, who's inadvertently caught up in the aftermath of the Monmouth Rebellion in England under King James II. As punishment, he's transported to the Caribbean to serve out a 10 year sentence as a slave on a sugar plantation. He escapes through a series of wacky hijinks and becomes a fearsome pirate. He also falls in love with the plantation owner's niece.

The Pros: The book is episodic, written with a framing device that makes clear it's being written after the fact as a historical narrative. This allows us to skip between the fun adventures Blood experiences and skip over the boring parts. Blood is a trickster character, often outsmarting his foes rather than beating them with brute strength alone. He's also allowed to be a bit noble while being an outlaw, given that he was basically forced into being a pirate.

The Cons: Peter Blood doesn't change all that much - he's basically the same character at the end of the book as he is at the beginning. Still fun, though.

Also, this book was written in 1922. It refers to Black slaves with slurs and mentions sexual violence frequently (and not always committed by the "villains"). A word of caution if that's triggering for you.

Overall, this is a fun romp that follows a trickster getting one over on his adversaries time and time again, with pirates and romance included.